You could tell their amazement as they were listening to their father telling about the French gift offered to the American people in 1886, as a sign of friendship between the two nations. Of course, as a typical result of their young age, questions about practical transportation of the statue and the means through which "The Lady" is not yet tired of holding that torch for so many years, soon came out of the girls' mouths, leaving their father rather confused. However, the Lady is not yet tired of being the one to have greeted the millions of immigrants that crossed the Atlantic from Europe, Africa, and Asia in search of a better life, of the liberties the American nation draws its strengths from. She has welcomed people from around the world, people that would ultimately influence the future of our nation. Many feel reluctant to admit to the fact that, indeed, we are a nation of immigrants. However, these immigrants were attracted by the values of liberty, freedom, and equality, the exact freedoms for which she holds the torch today. Therefore, she is not tired of being the symbol of a nation and of its values, the essence of a culture which, however different from the centuries old French, British or Italian ones, is based on more powerful connections, those of human values.

This cooper statue is a constant reminder of the enduring edifice of the American democracy. This strong conviction suddenly hit me as I steped foot on the island and saw the grandeur of it all. From afar, it seemed a spot on the horizon line. From close up, it was larger than life. I translated the same perception to our democracy. Indeed, the word is constantly on the lips of politicians and...

However, when one experiences it, as an intrinsic element of his existence, it becomes essential, larger than life. The Statue of Liberty embodies this sense of democracy as part of an order above our seemingly unnoticeable existence.
The panoramic view you get of the city is yet another reminder of the supremacy of the Statue and the values she embodies. I recall thinking that at precisely that moment the city was unaware of the fact that a few dozen pairs of eyes were watching it. Life in the city was, more or less, business as usual, while, we, the visitors in the Statue of Liberty were above them. It gave me a sense of power and at the same time of relief, because I knew that I was in so many occasions in the position of the people in the city. When there were no visitors in the Statue, at night, there was still someone watching over. This "someone," the Statue, the embodiment of our past, the proof of our present, and the assurance of our future, is tirelessly lighting our way as a nation.

The experience was indeed one that will stay with me for the rest of my life. It made me discover the core values of our nation's essence. The historical facts about the monument of the Statue of Liberty are mere figures and cannot convey the true meaning of the message she stands for. Experiencing the panoramic view, hearing the mixed words of the foreigners, breathing the air that seems to have gathered the flavors from all over the world, this is the essence of our cosmopolite culture and of our democracy, the actual elements the Statue of Liberty has yet to be tired of holding the torch for.